


Reunion

by thanatopis



Category: Ajin: Demi-Human
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thanatopis/pseuds/thanatopis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The thing with Kai, Kei thought, was that he was always expecting for his old childhood friend to yell at him or scold him, maybe even hit him for all the things Kei put him through."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr. Just bringing it to the archive :)

The thing with Kai, Kei thought, was that he was always expecting for his old childhood friend to yell at him or scold him, maybe even hit him for all the things Kei put him through. Kei didn’t expect anything less honestly, he was a shit person—an even shittier friend and things like comradery and friendship was something that was still quite foreign for Kei.

Of course he went through the motions of it before that truck had hit him that one fateful afternoon.

Kei walked home every day with his supposed friends, had eaten lunch with them, and had even let them copy off his homework when one of them was annoyingly insistent—all the while ignoring and making fun of Kai’s simple existence while he justified and heightened his own.

Kei didn’t know why he kept coming back to be perfectly honest, especially now with how dangerous everything was. Satou would eventually make his move and Kei didn’t know truly if they would be able to withstand it when he did. Simply being near him or anyone that he was associated with was a foolish death wish.

Squaring his shoulders, a severe frown pulls displeased at Kei’s lips as he stares at Kai and in turn Kai stares right back at him.

Kai’s hair being shorter is the only thing physically that seems different about him. Although, there is something _overall_ that seems…older or wiser—it’s something Kei can’t see but _feels_ as his eyes narrow at the only person he has ever considered a friend.

Kei becomes more unsettled when Kai doesn’t offer him any reassuring words. It’s selfish to still expect them, even after everything, but Kai has always just been that type of guy. Kei had just come to expect it.

Flashbacks of Kai standing before him, telling him he was human despite his newly learned immortal status make Kei’s breath hitch at the memory. Taking advantage Kai’s kindness had seemed so simple at the time. Kei didn’t want to think about what would happen if Kai didn’t have any of that for him any more…

A dry laugh escapes out of his throat as his heartbeat rattles wildly inside his chest.

“Not gonna say anything?”

Kai tilts his head, giving Kei a good once look over. All the muscles in Kei’s body tighten when Kai begins to step towards him, his strides long and the thump of his boots echo in Kei’s ears.

He’s been through enough to be wary of people coming near him.

 _But this is Kai_ a voice, an innocent foolish one sounding a lot like his younger self tries to rationalize. He discards the voice right away because really who is Kai? Did he ever know anything about him?

Despite things, Kei still holds back from having his black ghost make an unannounced appearance, the black, almost goopy plasma cascading out of him in rivulets as Kai drawls closer and closer, his foot falls picking up speed.

 _He’s going to hit me_ , Kei thinks. He almost considers just letting Kai have the first blow to maybe just appease him, let him get it out of his system before anything else drastic happens.

Preparing for a hit that never comes, Kai instead embraces him in a tight hug that shocks Kei into stillness, the black plasma evaporating immediately into nothingness like wisps of smoke.

His breath catches audibly inside his lungs as his arms hang limply in the cradle of Kai’s arms.

When was the last time he was touched like this?

Kei has no idea, completely forgotten in the absence of sharp knifes pressed against his skin or hot bullets embedded inside his flesh. Even his own mother and sister hadn’t ever hugged him like this, their affection non-existent or simply begrudgingly given.

“You okay?”

Kei almost misses it, but he nods his head dumbly still not knowing what to do with his arms.

“Yeah…”

Kai after a moment pulls back, gripping softly at his upper arms as if to actually confirm that he’s here.

His eyes are friendlier—warmer when they look at Kei now and he doesn’t know what to do with that softness—he never will be able too.

Kai gives a small, reassuring smile, giving a fond squeeze to Kei’s shoulders.

“Give a guy a heads-up before you take off on your own okay? I’m here for you, stop forgetting it.”


End file.
